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Book 14: Chapter 1: The Evil Lord\'s Son

He seemed to be in a hurry for some reason, and though the people around him remained silent, their expressions betrayed concern as they wondered what was going on.

Upon arriving at their destination, Brian first adjusted his clothes to look presentable.

In front of the door, knights had been stationed to stand guard.

“Lord Edward, this is Brian. May I have permission to enter the room?”

His tone was stronger than usual.

Soon, permission was granted and the door opened automatically.

Looking inside the room, Brian frowned, and the servants behind him were visibly confused.

This was one of Edward’s bedrooms, and there was a large bed occupying it.

The problem was that there was someone else on the bed as well.

Edward yawned loudly, feeling drowsy.

Seeing this, Brian let out a sigh.

“Did you bring in another maid?”

The maid, dressed in sexy underwear, blushed and tried to hide when she realized Brian had entered.

However, before she could, Edward hugged her, stopping her movement.

“Holding her feels so comfortable. I’m making her mine,” Edward said imposingly.

Brian shook his head.

(So he says, but he’s yet to actually embrace anyone.)

Edward liked to embrace women, but in the most literal sense.

If he’d really done the deed, a report would’ve been filed.

“Lord Edward, it’s perfectly fine for you to lay your hands on them, but please do so in moderation. This month alone, you’ve invited over ten people into your room.”

Edward, still topless, laid down on the maid’s lap, using it like a pillow.

“I hear our maids agreed to perform such tasks before entering the mansion. In that case, I don’t see what the problem is.”

“They had agreed under the assumption that they would be in service of Lord Liam.”

Edward became evidently displeased at the mention of his father.

“As if Father would lay his hands on an actual woman. I bet the maids are happy that I’m showing interest in them.”

Brian’s expression turned bitter at Edward’s sharp remarks.

(It’s true that Lord Liam isn’t attracted to any of our maids. Ever since he was born, the only real woman he’s embraced was Lady Rosetta. That in itself is problematic as well, but it’s also not good to be so unbridled.)

Brian had advised Liam many times to lay claim on actual women and to build a harem, only to fail. This had caused him much headache.

However, Edward’s wanton behavior wasn’t entirely appropriate either.

(It’s the right thing to do for the continuation of the household… but the problem is that Lord Edward’s not embracing them in the true sense.)

The maids that Edward brought in had to be treated differently from regular servants.

They would no longer be allowed to find male partners for themselves, and their work would revolve around taking care of Edward.

This wasn’t a simple problem that could be resolved with Edward having children with them in the future.

Brian was a butler, and as someone who had supported the Banfield Family for many centuries, he was well-versed in matters of aristocratic households.

(All would be well if Lord Edward succeeds Lord Liam, but were he to get disinherited…)

What the Banfield Family desperately needed right now was someone to succeed Liam.

As Rosetta’s son, Edward was the most likely candidate as the next head of the family, but this wasn’t set in stone.

After all, there was a chance Liam could disinherit him.

And that wasn’t all. There was yet another issue that had to be addressed.

(Lord Liam had his fair share of troubles as well, but it pales in comparison to what Lord Edward would have to face.)

Although Edward was a skilled swordsman, he had a laid-back personality and always did as he pleased.

Among Liam’s knights, an increasing number of them were starting to think Edward didn’t have the necessary qualities to be Liam’s heir.

(Your second child is about to be delivered. I don’t recommend leaving this issue hanging, Lord Liam.)

However, much to Brian’s dismay, Liam didn’t seem much invested in the issue of succession.

◇

After Brian left, a member of Kukuri’s Black Ops entered the room.

Her name was [Nata], and she was dressed in black, matching the color of her hair, which was styled in twin tails.

On the surface, she was meant to be one of Edward’s study mates, but unlike the other children, she was tasked with a mission—to protect Edward with her life.

She had been educated to prioritize Edward above anything else, and her existence was solely for the purpose of guarding her master.

Unlike the rest of the Black Ops personnel, she held a rather special position in that her allegiance wasn’t to the Banfield Family as a whole, but to Edward.

Even so, she wasn’t too pleased by Edward’s attitude, prompting her to let out a small sigh.

“Lord Edward, I highly advise against angering the butler. The Family Head thinks highly of him.”

She was subtly telling him that if he made Brian angry, his position as the heir of the household could be put in jeopardy.

However, Edward simply yawned and crawled out of bed, not feeling the least bit concerned.

“Don’t worry, Father’s not interested in my affairs. All his focus is on defeating the Empire.”

“That’s not true. Although he’s preoccupied with matters concerning the Empire, there’s no denying that the Family Head thinks fondly of you, Lord Edward.”

She had been told such by Kukuri, their leader.

Nata had been raised as a member of the Black Ops from a young age and had few memories of her parents.

Not long after she was born, she was taken away from her parents to begin training, and even now, she had to undergo regular training.

Naturally, she was jealous of Edward, who received love from both his parents. Unfortunately, it seemed the person in question was oblivious to how blessed he was.

“He cares for me because I’m his heir, not because of who I am.”

“Surely that’s not the case.”

“Hmm, maybe I should just live as a swordsman. Mother’s about to have a second child, so the household should be in good hands.”

Seeing him give up on his future so easily infuriated her.

“Lord Edward is excellent, I can guarantee that.”

People often compared Edward to Liam, making it difficult for him to stand out.

However, he was quite the talent. He was just unaware of it.

“I wonder about that.”

◇

While Brian was wracking his brain over the Banfield Family’s future, [Klaus Sera Mont], who had a large mansion situated on Hydra, was feeling concerned about a different matter.

“Look, Dad! Now I’m an official knight under the Banfield Family!”

His daughter was happily showing off her brand-new knight uniform.

His son, who was already working as a knight, offered his opinion.

“You look better than I expected. So, which unit were you assigned to?”

His daughter responded proudly to the question.

“I was assigned to Number Four’s fleet! All the hard work I put in during training finally paid off~!”

His son smiled, applauding her success.

Being assigned to one of the Numbers’ fleets was proof that she was recognized as an elite.

“I’m so jealous of you. I was assigned to Hydra’s defense fleet. I prefer playing a more active role, if you know what I mean,” he said, sending Klaus a pleading look.

Klaus calmly explained why he had his son assigned to the defense fleet.

“There’s a good chance both your sister and I will die in battle. If you were to join the front lines as well, your mother might lose her entire family at once.”

Needless to say, as Liam’s right-hand man, Klaus would often be put in dangerous situations. Now that his daughter had joined Number Four’s fleet, she too would be thrown into fierce battles.

As a parent and a husband, he wanted at least one of his children to be part of a safe unit.

His son, however, seemed dissatisfied with his decision.

“I understand where you’re coming from, Dad, but I’m still your son.”

Klaus naturally knew what he meant.

As the son of the Empire’s Strongest Knight, he also wished to prove himself on the front lines.

“We’re different, you and I. There’s no need for you to follow in my footsteps.”

(Even my children are chasing after my illusion!! Ugh, all I want is for them to live happily in peace.)

As their father, he wished to keep his children away from harm’s way, meaning he didn’t want them to become core members of the Knights’ Order, but his children failed to appreciate his concerns.

His son’s shoulders slumped.

Now that he’d been rejected by the Head of the Knights’ Order himself, there was nothing he could do about it.

The topic of their conversation then shifted.

“If neither of us is to follow in your footsteps, do you plan on having Yasuyuki-kun take over your position?” his son asked jokingly.

Klaus was taken aback by this suggestion, but halfway through, started to think it wasn’t a bad idea.

“It’s up to Lord Liam to decide who takes over my position. Either he or his successor. Either way, it’s not our place to discuss this.”

(Having said that, he’s quite the bright child, so maybe, just maybe. It’s pointless to discuss the future, but he’s on track to becoming a better knight than I am.)

Klaus thought highly of Yasuyuki’s talent.

As the only son of Sword God Yasushi, who was also Liam’s Master, Yasuyuki possessed excellent qualities of a knight.

Not only that, he had a serious personality and always strived to improve himself.

(It boils down to whether Yasuyuki-kun has what it takes to gain the acknowledgment of the Banfield Family’s Knights’ Order. But then again, he can rely on his older sisters.)

Though many of their knights were self-centered and egotistical, the two swordswomen of One Flash were there to hold down the fort for him.

Fuuka and Rinho were both Yasushi’s direct disciples and doted on Yasuyuki greatly.

If they were to support Yasuyuki in his endeavor, the position of Head Knight would be within his reach.

(―But ultimately, he would need Lord Liam’s approval, which I doubt he would receive.)

If Liam were to say “Yasuyuki-kun is Master’s only son, sending him into battle is out of the question!” becoming the Head Knight would prove exceedingly arduous.

(Lord Liam dotes on him as well. Even if Yasuyuki-kun does become a knight, it’s questionable whether he’d get to experience actual combat.)

In Klaus’s opinion, Yasuyuki-kun would at most be dispatched for escort missions or be called out for ceremonial events.

“While it’s uncertain whether he’ll succeed Father’s position, there’s been talk that he’s to become Lord Edward’s second-in-command. Everyone says he’ll grow up to be an important figure,” his daughter exclaimed.

Liam saw Yasuyuki in a good light, so it was entirely possible for him to assign Yasuyuki next to his son so that they could build a friendly relationship early on.

Truth be told, Liam had talked to Klaus about this several times in the past, but their conversation had been cut short due to their conflict with the subjugation army.

“Maybe it’s as you say. Until then, I’ll have to teach him the fundamentals of being a knight, starting with etiquette.”

His son had met Yasuyuki several times in the past and appeared to be quite friendly with him. Nevertheless, he couldn’t hide his envy towards the latter.

“Even we were only taught the basics by Father. He’s one lucky fellow to receive direct training from the Banfield Family’s Head Knight.”

If Klaus were to announce that he was recruiting disciples, people would flock over from all over the world. After all, he’d established himself as a legend with numerous feats of valor under his belt.

Klaus let out a deep sigh.

“There’s not much for me to teach him, though.”

(Honestly, I’m not nearly qualified enough to be Yasuyuki-kun’s instructor.)

*****

Brian (´・ω・｀): “Lord Edward keeps laying his hands on women, it’s painful…”

Brian ∑(´゜ω゜｀；): “Wait, is this really something to feel sad about?”